Having trouble getting through the home-stretch at work? Don’t worry, us too. For your own sanity, we’ve put together a small playlist of songs – new and old, from country to pop, to make those last few hours at least survivable.
1. Taylor Swift – Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar
Early pick for song of the Summer? T-Swift and west coast hip-hop superstar Kendrick Lamar form an unlikely duo for this pop hit. Whether you’re a radio junkie or not, this jam is going to be a hard one to get out of your head for the next couple of months, so you might as well play it at your desk.
2. A$AP Rocky – L$D
A$AP Rocky changes up the pace with this hazy tune that sounds just as much like an acid trip that the name might suggest. “They say wealth is in the mind / not in the pocket…” Hey, that’s some sound advice for an unpaid intern!
3. Drake – Hold On, We’re Going Home
The hook to this track from Drake’s acclaimed album Nothing Was the Same may serve best as a reassuring mantra that, yes, 5 p.m. is just around the corner.
4. Talking Heads – Once in a Lifetime
Maybe your parents are better suited feel the nostalgia that David Byrne tries to inspire in this 1981 new wave hit. Out of all the questions Byrne asks himself, he somehow managed to leave out, “And you may ask yourself: when does my shift end?”
5. Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment – Wanna be Cool ft. Big Sean, Kyle, and Jeremih
From one of the most eclectic mainstream hip-hop albums in recent memory, Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment, a collaborative project by Chicago’s Chance the Rapper, give us this this exciting track that tackles self-love and confidence. Wanna Be Cool? Not as much as I Wanna Go Home.
6. Spoon – Do You
Do-do-do-do-do-do you want it to be Friday? Spoon’s sound isn’t for everyone, but this song carries some wide appeal and definitely gets us through until it’s time to punch out of work.
7. Luke Bryan – Kick the Dust Up
Country heartthrob Luke Bryan’s hard-nosed party anthem Kick the Dust Up will give you the edge you need to strut on out of your office like the cowboy/cowgirl that you are, so maybe it’s best to save this song for last.
8. Ramones – It’s Not My Place (in the 9 to 5 World)
Another jam from 1981 (purely coincidental). This punk masterpiece might make you want to kick over your boss’s chair on the way out of work today, so listen with caution.
9. Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
I think everyone would agree that by the time 3:30 comes around, a simple, laid back tune like this 2008 radio hit is the perfect antidote for the cubicle-blues.
10. Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man
You’ll have to think back a few years to remember this song that made Mumford & Sons the most popular pop-folk group around. Still, this upbeat classic hasn’t lost it’s ability to keep you moving through those last few hours.